Becoming a Web Developer from a Cognitive Psychologist
How My Programming Journey Started and What Tips I Would Give to Beginners
This is my story about how and why I started to learn programming. Despite all the difficulties I faced I’ve enjoyed the coding journey so far, I’ve learned lots of new technologies in these four years and now I’m able to create full-featured web apps on my own.
How it started
Four years ago, after finishing all of my exams (Cognitive Psychology, MA) I had a two weeks break before my next semester. I am not the type of person who can lay on the bed for weeks, so I relaxed one day then asked myself: Ok, what’s next?
I like to learn new things, so I was thinking about what I should learn in these two weeks. What field would be a great choice for me? I needed something challenging, interesting, logical and I desired to choose a field that gives numerous opportunities and the possibility of a high salary.
Question: So what field can be challenging, interesting, logical at the same time and gives great opportunities & the possibility of high pay?
The answer is clear: PROGRAMMING
Okay, it’s not that easy, but after some hours of thinking, I got this answer 😉. After choosing this field (Actually it’s not a field, rather than a collection of fields.) I had more and more questions about how I should start.
Facing hard questions at the beginning
I think everybody who just jumps into learning something new could face these problems. I’ve never imagined how difficult this field can be for a newbie. I read lots of articles, watched video tutorials about the first steps, but I felt lost. Who wouldn’t feel the same, right?
I had lots of questions:
- Which programming language should I learn?
- Where can I find great resources?
- How much time should I spend learning?
- What tools do I need to learn & practice?
- Is it worth investing time in it?
When I started this journey I had no answers to these questions, but now I’d like to share my experiences with you. I hope it could help you to make your starting easier. To do this I’m going to answer all questions one by one.
1. Which programming language should I learn?
This was one of the hardest questions for me. I read lots of articles about this topic and I was still confused. It seemed the writers loved their used language and they tried to convince me to learn the same, so I was stuck.
After some years of experience in this field, I can say you need to go over a few important things, before choosing your first programming language:
- Job Opportunities in the chosen language.
- The popularity of the programming language.
- What you want to do with this language (web development, mobile app development, data science, etc.)
- Difficulty: Some languages are a lot easier to learn than others.
- Salary: The average salary depends on several factors (programming language, location, your skills, etc.)
If you read more about these topics, I’m sure you’ll get an answer as to what language you should choose. My personal advice:
Rather than choosing a programming language that pays well, I think you should choose a field that truly interests you.
Four years ago I chose Python as my first programming language and I’m satisfied with my decision. After improving my Python skills I chose the web development field and I learned Flask and Django. When I felt comfortable with the backend it was time to pick up some frontend skills too, so I dived into HTML, CSS, and Javascript (+ Vue and React).
2. Where can I find great resources?
In the beginning, it can be difficult to find proper resources, because you have to filter tons of information on the web. On the other hand, you also have to choose what kind of resources you use (books, tutorials, online courses, etc.).
In the beginning, I didn’t know where to start. I read books and articles, watched tutorials but I felt lost sometimes. In my personal opinion, this three-step method can help you to start:
- Learn the basics from tutorial websites (W3Schools, GeeksforGeeks, etc.)
- Check the documentation (Depends on the quality of the documentation. Some languages have great documentation others have less understandable or too short.)
- Watch tutorials and speed up your progress (YouTube, Udemy, etc.)
Here is a list of some useful websites where you can learn various programming languages:
This learning journey won’t be easy & short, but I assure you it’s worth it. And don’t forget: Whenever you learn something new take your time and practice till you feel comfortable with the new concepts.
3. How much time should I spend learning?
It’s a great question, right? How much time do I need to learn daily/weekly to feel the progress? I think it depends on more factors, for example, your skills, the amount of your free time, your possibilities and much more.
Dispense with the personal factors the answer is short and clear:
The more you learn & practice the more you know.
Okay, it’s obvious. But how to do that if you have a job or you’re a student? In my opinion, the key to achieving your goals is planning. You have to make a plan when and where you learn daily. It can be difficult sometimes because, after 8 hours of work or studying, it would be much easier to watch a movie or hang out with your friends, but never forget:
You do it to reach your goals. So it’s really worth it.
4. What tools do I need to learn & practice?
When I decided which language I wanted to learn and which resources to use the next question was:
Okay, I’m ready to start but do I have the necessary tools to practice a new programming language?
You don’t need expensive tools to start learning. Actually, you can learn programming without spending a penny (if you have a computer and internet). So don’t worry, the expenses can’t stop you.
Here is a list of some basic tools (free) you need:
- Computer & internet
- Download necessary setup files for your chosen programming language
- Text editor / Code editor (I recommend the last one.)
- If you don’t want to install a Code editor you can use online editors too.
Plus, you have to be:
- persistent
- consistent
- hard-working
I hope it helps you to understand that the only thing you need is the decision you want to learn a programming language.
5. Is it worth investing time in it?
From my point of view, the answer is definitely YES. First, ask yourself why do you want to learn. What are your future goals with this? In case you want to learn a programming language, because it seems interesting and you can see the possibilities in it, then you won’t be disappointed. But if you dive into this field just because of the chance of a high salary, I don’t recommend you to start it.
Most good programmers do programming not because they expect to get paid or get adulation by the public, but because it is fun to program. — Linus Torvalds
I’ve really enjoyed my programming journey so far, and I can say coding became my hobby. I cherish learning new things every day, and it’s amazing to see what you can build with some knowledge of a programming language.
So, what is my last advice?
If you are interested in programming don’t hesitate. Pick up a language, start learning, practice, and build some projects. After a few months, you’ll see the result, you’ll have new possibilities, and maybe you’ll have a new hobby as well 😉.
In the next articles, I’m going to write about programming languages (JavaScript, Python, etc.), popular frameworks & libraries, learning methods, useful tools, and much more.
